This invention relates to brackets for use in marine applications for supporting an accessory, such as a lantern or a fishing rod holder. More particularly it relates to brackets which may be conveniently secured to a standard marine cleat.
While fishing at night from a boat, the fisherman will often want to extend a lantern off the side of the boat and over the water to attract fish. Fishermen have tried many different techniques to extend a lantern off the side of a boat, including hanging the lantern on one end of a pole and wedging the other end of the pole under an article on the hull, or simply hanging the lantern against the outer hull. However, particularly when the water is rough, the lantern will often beat against the side of the boat, causing noise which actually scares the fish, and also potentially causing damage to both the boat and to the lantern. Thus there is a need for a bracket for securely holding a lantern over the side of the boat, but away from the boat so that the lantern will not come in contact with the outer hull.